Degrassi: The Next Generation
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Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian television series, which follows the lives of a group of high school students.
Spawned from the idea of doing a reunion show of characters from the earlier Degrassi series, Degrassi: The Next Generation is a sequel to the popular 1980s series Degrassi Junior High. Rather than do a show focusing just on the (now adult) characters, the creators decided to stay true to the original series and retain its focus on the issues and challenges of real teen life. Several characters from the earlier series appear on the new series as parents or teachers of the new students and have plot lines of their own which intermix with the stories of the younger generation.
Degrassi: The Next Generation details the lives of many different characters as they go through their high school years. Since the first season the characters have grown in many different ways. The show has dealt with many issues familiar to teenagers, such as body image, drug abuse, drinking, rape, child abuse, abortion, homosexuality, cutting, death, domestic violence, cancer, eating disorders, school shooting, mental illness, gambling, penis size, nocturnal emissions, visible erections and oral sex.
While the earlier Degrassi series all aired in Canada on the CBC, Degrassi: The Next Generation airs on CTV.
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Main Characters
There is no lead character; but from episode to episode one or two characters will usually be the focus of the main plot. They are listed here in alphabetical order.
Returning from Degrassi Junior High
- Joey Jeremiah
- Owner of a car dealership and the stepfather of Craig Manning
- Christine "Spike" Nelson
- Hairdresser and Mother of Emma Nelson, whom she was pregnant with in the original series.
- Dan Raditch
- Principal of Degrassi
- Caitlyn Ryan
- A prominent local TV Journalist
- Archibald "Snake" Simpson
- Now a teacher at Degrassi
Characters new to Degrassi:TNG
- Alex (Unknown last name)
- Alex rolled in with Jay and the "Montreal Crew" (season 3) and doesn't pretend to be anything but a serious bitch. She's not looking to make friends and stays close to the people who are close to her.
- Darcy (Unknown last name)
- Darcy is friends with Emma and Manny and on the spirit squad. she went to a dance with Chester, but went away after Chester went for Manny
- Hazel Aden
- Hazel is a smart, popular Somalian girl who is occasionally mean, but outside of her catty circle of friends usually deals with others with more kindness than she displays in front of her peers.
- Jimmy Brooks
- Athletic, smart, and kind, Jimmy is more open-minded than many of Degrassi's other students. His family is also quite wealthy, causing occasional rifts with other students from different economic backgrounds.
- Sean Hope Cameron
- Sean is a conficted teen with a violent past. He was expelled from his previous school, and despite his best efforts to be nice and normal, he often has flares of anger that get him into trouble once again. Living with his older brother Tracker in a trailer, Sean also wants desperately to have the material things that others around him take for granted.
- "Tracker" Cameron
- Sean's older brother shares his trailer with him and occasionally dispenses brotherly wisdom.
- Chester Hosoda
- A new student to Degrassi, Chester is considered quite hot by Emma and Manny's friends. He recently moved in a couple of houses down from Emma and enjoys an uneasy truce with her.
- Jay Hogart
- Jay is a late addition to Degrassi (season 3) who carefully cultivates his bad boy image by being genuinely amoral. His "take what I want" attitude polarizes other students at Degrassi who either want to befriend him (and have the things he has, like hot girlfriend Alex and expensive modifications to his car) or hate him because everything he "takes" has to be stolen from someone else.
- Tobias "Toby" Isaacs
- Toby often chooses intellectual persuits over social endeavors and he wears his badge of geekiness fairly proudly. Because he spends more time on these activities than developing his social skills, Toby can often be awkward when dealing with other students and suffers some isolation and abuse from that difference.
- Nadia Jamir
- little is known about Nadia except that she is always hanging out with Kendra and Liberty. She is in a wheelchair, but doesn't let the chair keep her from doing things that she wants to do.
- Angela Jeremiah
- Joey Jeremiah's very young daughter has not yet entered middle school.
- Ashley "Ash" Kerwin
- Emotionally raw (if not outright melodramatic), Ashley strives to be good to the people around her, but is finding out that that's not always possible while being good, or even true, to yourself. The harsh words of others and her own mistakes drive Ashley to take a hard look at herself and she continually morphs her personality as she tries to find a balance between altruism and ego.
- Terri MacGregor
- The attractive and reserved daughter of a widowed father, and possessing a keen interest in the occult, Terri MacGregor struggles with insecurites about her appearance, due to the fact that she is more curvaceous than her very thin peers. Her career as a plus-size model is improving her self-image, and helping her overcome her vulnerability to peer pressure, although her individuation remains incomplete.
- Craig Manning
- The consummate artist, Craig can often be seen taking photographs, playing his guitar, or writing lyrics. Dealing with his abusive father has made the transition to adulthood difficult for Craig and he continues to work though this and other issues.
- Gavin "Spinner" Mason
- So nicknamed for his bouts of ADHD, Spinner is an older student who doesn't mind using his age and size to his advantage. Occasionally a bully to other students, Gavin alternates between being extremely closed-minded to being an incredibly supportive and loyal friend.
- Kendra Mason
- Kendra is an Asian girl who is very into anime. She is Spinner's adopted sister.
- Dylan Michalchuk
- A graduate of Degrassi, Paige's older brother Dylan's openness and confidence about his homosexuality is empowering (and maybe even attractive) to other students at Degrassi.
- Paige Michalchuk
- Popular girl with a sharp tongue who often says things which are hurtful to others. Paige is no stranger to trials herself, however, and may be a more vulnerable person than indicated by the personality she shows to the outside world. Once her rough exterior is broken down, Paige can be very genuine and caring with those around her.
- Ellie Nash
- As the only "alternative" student at Degrassi when she enters (season 2), Ellie stands out immediately from the other students. Her goth/punk dress and style keeps some students at a safe distance while drawing others who feel "different" such as Ashley and Marco to her. Meanwhile, Ellie's confident exterior persona belies a very fragile and hurt girl underneath with tons of outside trauma to deal with.
- Emma Nelson
- Daughter of Christine "Spike" Nelson (who was pregnant with Emma in the original series), Emma is smart and idealistic, sometimes to a fault. She champions broad causes such as protecting the environment and boycotting Genetically modified food. Emma's rigid ideals of right and wrong often lead to conflicts with other students who see their choices in shades of grey rather than black and white.
- Marco del Rossi
- A smart and fashionable character, Marco is dealing with coming out as gay to himself, his friends, and most recently to his mother.
- Manuella "Manny" Santos
- Born in Manila, Philippine's capital, Manny is a filipina girl who is struggling to define herself. Eager to grow outside of the confining role of a "cute" young girl, Manny will do whatever it takes to get what she wants.
- Chris Sharpe
- Smart, black, and hip, Chris is a DJ with eyes for Emma; the only problem is that he's got a girlfriend. Chris has a gift for doling out wisdom and keeping cool and collected,.
- James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke
- J.T. is the resident class clown. His quick wit and tongue make him lots of friends and get him into just as much trouble.
- Danny Van Zandt
- Danny is new to Degrassi and is the brother of Liberty. he hangs out with JT and Toby and is always making moves around Manny.
- Liberty Van Zandt
- Smart but socially awkward, Liberty attempts to think through every situation, sometimes ignoring what is happening around her if it doesn't fit her preconceived logic. As she grows, she is learning to take each moment as it comes and deal with it with both her head and her heart, but she still struggles to connect with other students.
More About the Show
The ever-changing dynamic between friends, significant others, and enemies on Degrassi: The Next Generation likens it to a teenage soap opera. Much as in a real life, the adolescence of the characters is a mix of happiness and tragedy as they find themselves in very real situations where the stakes are higher than anyone ever seems to remember after exiting High School. Although every episode isn't amazing, the show has been compared to My So-Called Life for its ability to portray the real drama of life as a teenager without resorting to complete melodrama or pandering to its audience.
In the United States, Degrassi: The Next Generation airs on The-N (which runs as Noggin for pre-schoolers from 6 AM until 6 PM Eastern time (and shifts for the other time zones; i.e. in the Pacific zone it is 3AM to 3PM), then the focus shifts to teens and The-N runs for the other 12 hours each day). Noggin is owned by Viacom (the same company that owns Nickelodeon). In Australia it is aired by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) as part of its "ABC Kids" lineup. (Before each episode is shown in Australia, a warning is broadcast that the programme may not be suitable for younger children).
Several factors, including Degrassi:TNG's award winning writing and heavy exposure on The-N have made it surprisingly popular in the United States. A March, 2005 article on this growing "south of the border" popularity in the Ottawa Sun notes that it is by far the most popular show on The-N and has outperformed U.S. youth-oriented non-cable prime-time shows like Joan of Arcadia and 8 Simple Rules even though only a relatively small portion of the U.S. has access to The-N cable channel. This is even more remarkable considering how few TV shows from other English-speaking countries (besides those geared towards young children such as Teletubbies or The Wiggles) have succeeded with a U.S. audience. Other successful English-language shows from outside the U.S. have generally been from the United Kingdom rebroadcast on PBS or BBC America; despite the close proximity, Canadian television is almost never rebroadcast to the U.S., making Degrassi:TNG one of the most successful Canadian TV shows ever in America. As a result, many American fans are only aware of the new Degrassi series, having never been exposed to the original.
Recognizing this, American actor and film director Kevin Smith will be making a 3-episode guest appearance in the 2005 season. A fan of both the original and current shows, Kevin Smith named a character in Clerks Caitlin for the character of the same name in Degrassi.
Cast
- Dalmar Abuzeid - Danny Van Zandt (Season 4- )
- Sarah Barrable-Tishauer - Liberty Van Zandt
- John Bregar - Dylan Michalchuk (Season 3- )
- Stefan Brogren - Archibald "Snake" Simpson
- Deanna Casaluce - Alex (Season 3- )
- Daniel Clark - Sean Hope Cameron (Seasons 1-4)
- Lauren Collins - Paige Michalchuk
- Ryan Cooley - James Tiberius "J.T." Yorke
- Melissa DiMarco - Ms. Hatzilakos (Season 2- )
- Ephraim Ellis - Rick Murray (Season 3-4)
- Jake Epstein - Craig Manning (Season 2- )
- Stacey Farber - Eleanor "Ellie" Nash (Season 2- )
- Jake Goldsbie - Tobias "Toby" Isaacs
- Aubrey Graham - Jimmy Brooks
- Shenae Grimes - Darcy (Season 4-)
- Michael Kinney - Mr. Armstrong
- Shane Kippel - Gavin "Spinner" Mason
- Katie Lai - Kendra Mason (Season 2-3)
- Andrea Lewis - Hazel Aden
- Mike Lobel - Jay (Season 3- )
- Linlyn Lue - Ms. Kwan
- Pat Mastroianni - Joseph "Joey" Jeremiah (Season 2- )
- Miriam McDonald - Emma Nelson
- Melissa McIntyre - Ashley Kerwin
- Stacie Mistysyn - Caitlin Ryan (Season 3-)
- Daniel Morrison - Chris Sharpe (Season 3- )
- Ali Mukaddam - Mohammed (Season 2)
- Phillip Nozuka - Chester Hosoda (Season 4)
- Adamo Ruggiero - Marco del Rossi (Season 2- )
- Christina Schmidt - Terri MacGregor (Season 1-3)
- Cassie Steele - Manuella "Manny" Santos
- Alex Steele - Angela Jeremiah (Season 2- )
- Amanda Stepto - Christine "Spike" Nelson/Christine "Spike" Simpson
- Maria Vacratsis - Sheila the Lunch Lady (Seasons 1-3)
- Kit Weyman - Sulley (Season 2-3)
- Dan Woods - Principal Raditch
- Mony Yassir - Nadia Jamir (Season 2-3)
External links
- Boycott the Caf - A Degrassi: the Next Generation Love Site (http://degrassi.dumbbaby.net)
- Offical Degrassi Site from Canada (http://www.degrassi.tv)
- Degrassi: The Next Generation TV Tome Listing (http://www.tvtome.com/DegrassiTheNextGeneration/)
- Complete episode guide (http://www.tvtome.com/DegrassiTheNextGeneration/guide.html) from TVTome, with spoilers
- Degrassi: The Next Generation on The-N.com (http://www.the-n.com/ntv/shows/index.php?id=67)
- Official website of Pat Mastroianni (http://patmeup.com)
- Accidents Will Happen Part 1 Video (http://awh1.cjb.net)
- Accidents Will Happen Part 2 Video (http://awh2.cjb.net)